An F-16 aircraft of the Turkish Stars aerobatic team of the Turkish Air Forces Command performs during the Teknofest airshow over Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Türkiye, Sept. 20, 2018. (Reuters)
Turkish fighter jets flying over the Mediterranean were threatened by Greek air defense missiles that locked radar on its F-16s, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Greece’s Russian-made S300 air defense system on the island of Crete harassed Turkish planes on Aug. 23 as they flew over the Mediterranean, according to the statement. Earlier this week, Turkey reported a similar incident carried out by the Greek military.
The dispute comes as tensions between the two NATO countries are on the rise again, given Turkey’s claims that military forces on some Greek islands in the Aegean Sea exceed limits and the ongoing dispute over Turkey’s natural gas exploration in the Mediterranean sea.
Radar lock means that the radar system of a missile or fighter jet automatically follows a selected target, tracking its flight to accurately hit. They are common in mock dogfights between rival countries that are not at war, where fighter jet pilots confront each other by targeting their rivals, but refrain from actually shooting.
Ankara said the incident is defined as "hostile action” by NATO’s engagement rules and it proves that Greece has been actively using Russian S300 air defense systems it acquired 23 years ago.
